PULLMAN, Wash. – For the second-straight week and the fourth time in 2018 the Washington State soccer team took home Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors as senior Maegan O'Neill captured the weekly award Tuesday afternoon. For O'Neill, the award was the first of the senior's career while it marked the sixth weekly award for the Cougars on the year. O'Neill joins Maddy Haro (Aug. 21), Mykiaa Minniss (Aug. 28), and Aaqila McLyn (Sept. 25) as defensive players of the week.

The defensive cog in the midfield, O'Neill's play was critical over the weekend as she led the Cougs to a pair of wins including a shutout of Oregon State Sunday, WSU's fifth shutout of the season and second in three Pac-12 games. O'Neill and the WSU defense allowed just five shots against OSU. The Cougars did not allow a goal in the run of play, giving up just their fifth goal of the season to Oregon on a free kick.

On top of her defensive midfield role, O'Neill came up big on the offensive side of the ball as the Spokane native scored a pair of goals on the weekend, both of the game-winning variety. Her header in the 70' against Oregon pushed WSU's unbeaten streak to seven against the Ducks and was the second latest game-winner for the Cougs on the year. She scored again Sunday in the 20' in WSU's dominating win over OSU.

For the year, O'Neill is second on the team in scoring with four goals while as a team the Cougars are 18th in the country in goals against having given up just .50 goals per game.

The Cougs and O'Neill have a top-25 test Thursday, Oct. 4 in Boulder, Colo. when No. 7 WSU takes on No. 20 Colorado.